Russian Drone Strike on Kryvyi Rih Mall Kills 16, Injures 130

At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 others wounded after Russian drones struck a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, central Ukraine, on Friday, according to Ukrainian authorities. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the deadly attack as an “act of barbarism” and vowed that Ukraine would respond.

Oleksandr Hanzha, governor of the region, said 22 children were among those injured in the Kryvyi Rih drone attack. At least 29 victims remained in serious condition, including five children, as emergency crews continued rescue operations at the damaged shopping centre.

By early Saturday, nine people were preliminarily listed as missing, including two children. Rescue workers were still searching through the rubble for possible survivors.

Zelenskiy, who was born in Kryvyi Rih, described the Russian attack as “absolutely cynical and despicable.” He said a second drone struck the shopping centre roughly 30 minutes after the initial attack, accusing Russia of deliberately attempting to hit emergency personnel responding to the scene.

“Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram. He called on the international community to hold Moscow accountable and added: “We will definitely respond.”

Another Russian drone strike on Friday killed at least four people in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region, according to Ukrainian state media. Three children were among those killed, while a woman was wounded.

The latest attacks come as Russia intensifies its aerial campaign against Ukraine while the war approaches the four-and-a-half-year mark. A Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv on Thursday killed 17 people, adding to a growing toll from recent attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Ukraine has simultaneously increased strikes inside Russia, focusing on oil facilities and logistics infrastructure. Kyiv says such operations are intended to disrupt supply networks and weaken Moscow’s capacity to sustain its military campaign.